Help! Emergency Lesson Plans For the Everyday Teacher!

Teachers are hired to be present in the classroom throughout the semester. As we all know teacher conferences and even illness can happen where the teacher have to leave the students in the hands of, well a substitute.

During these times, teachers who are aware of their absence can plan in advance by providing folders and lesson plans to assist the substitute throughout the day. But what about the last minute unexpected emergencies such as surprise fire drills, power outages, incidents of school violence and school-lock downs to name a few?

Though many of your teaching days are and will be fairly normal, there is the probability that a disrupted day can and will occur. If and when the situation does present itself, it is important for you to be calm and try to allow the day to function as normal as possible.

It is important to create an emergency lesson plan that can be used by both you and an unforeseen substitute. Create a lesson plan that does not directly relate to what you are teaching. Here are a few ideas:

# 1 – Questions from a chapter in the book that you are not planning to cover

Make sure the information is kept organized. Students can create a self-opinionated essay or review an article. Writing from experiences or setting up a ‘how-to’ are great ways to implement test-taking strategies. As an added bonus, you can even utilize these essays later and create peer or teacher related questions!

# 2 – Worksheets that are self-inclusive

Make as many copies ahead of time as possible as you may not have time later. Don’t forget to leave yourself (or sub) access to an answer key! For math you can leave a fun calculator activity. Students can perform these individually or with partners. Limit the activity to 15 minutes as it will leave time you (or your substitute) to maintain control of the classroom.

# 3 – Teacher-created worksheets that might be considered fun

These are usually your average crossword puzzles and word searches. You can also map activities of the world, events within your town or a region of the world.

# 4 – Outside readings that have questions

These are good for stimulating the brain and is also considered busy-work. Consider getting a science related article and have students speculate and utilize the scientific method. This is a great application for their thinking and can set them up for a lab activity.

Remember to try and get this done early in the year as you may not have the time later. Not to mention, it’s a great last minute save! Though these situations are rare, they are plausible. They also serve as a great save for an unexpected leave of absence where you will be fully prepared for a substitute. Be prepared and get your emergency lesson plan together today!